On one of the biggest defensive plays for any team this season, Thomas Robinson had his eyes closed. Kansas’ national player of the year hopeful says so himself. Missouri point guard Phil Pressey drove left from the top of the floor, Robinson moved across the lane to cut him off at the rim—and the swat heard ’round the college basketball world forced overtime in a Border War finale eventually won by the Jayhawks.

Without that block, KU might not have won its eighth consecutive Big 12 regular-season title.

That was anomalous in more ways than one. If the best thing about KU this season is its 6-10 junior lottery pick-in-waiting—and the at times devastating on-court effect created by his pairing with 7-0 junior center Jeff Withey—then the second-best thing is that the Jayhawks go into the tournament with their eyes wide-open.

This is a team that knows itself—knows its flaws. Coach Bill Self has been hammering away at the Jayhawks all season about the consistency of their effort. Self’s motivational message was a driving factor in their sprint to the finish line of the regular season, during which they broke free of a three-way tie for first place in the conference with Missouri and Baylor.

“I think we’re better at it,” Robinson says. “(But) we’re still not good at it.”

It’s a meaningful mouthful from a player who seemingly has been as consistent as anyone in the country; Robinson has reached double figures in scoring in all but one game and is second in the nation in rebounding (11.8 per game). If he’s on board to dig even deeper throughout the postseason, how can his teammates not follow his lead?

Withey, in particular, has benefited from his frontcourt partner’s example—and from Self’s occasionally harsh words, often directed straight at him. Without question, he definitely needs to keep hearing them. Though he’s one of the college game’s premier shot blockers and is skilled enough to have been named national player of the week once in February, he also had a few of the most disappointing performances of his career that same month.

Seriously, how does one hit Oklahoma State for 18 points, 20 rebounds and seven blocks in one meeting, and six points, two rebounds and one block in the other?

KU can’t win its second national title in five years with Withey as a nonfactor in later rounds. But the Jayhawks wouldn’t even be in the discussion if not for Robinson, whom fellow power forward Ricardo Ratliffe of Missouri calls “a great player, their best player—a pro.”

Frankly, Robinson is one to root for, too. You may recall how cruel last winter was to him, as he lost both maternal grandparents and then his 43-year-old mother in a matter of less than a month. It’s a heartbreaking story that will be retold for as long as KU lasts in this year’s tournament.

Robinson has revealed much about himself during his star turn as a junior, tweeting like mad and letting his emotions flow on the court and after games. After KU’s loss to Missouri in early February—in which the Jayhawks went scoreless over the final 3:20 and gave up an eight-point lead at Missouri—big No. 0 was choked up.

“We blew that game,” he said.

He was just being honest. There were tears in his eyes, but they were wide-open.